CHAPTER 031

CHAPTER 031
JESSICA’S POV

“Is everything okay?” my parents queried at the same time. 

I barely paid attention to their reaction. A form of stillness swept over me at first then my hands began to  tremble as I stared down at my phone. I gasped for air, my heart slamming against my rib cage.

“No! No!” The words came out in broken whispers in between sobs. Tears slowly gathered in my eyes until the wordings of the text dissolved into a fog.

“This cannot be true. He can’t do this to me. It’s not happening again!” I panicked, tossing my phone across the table in shock, clawing into my hair as if I could rip the pain out. 

“Jess? Talk to me, what happened?” My mum hurried over to me, grasping me in her arms.

Even though my dad wasn’t dramatic with his expression like my mum, one  could tell from his tone he was worried. “Jess…talk to us. What’s going on?” He gently laid down his cutlery.

Unable to speak out, my mum reached for my phone. The moment her eyes skimmed the message, her expression hardened, and then the storm broke.

“I knew it!” She spat, her voice was sharper than an edged sword. “He was nothing but a leech! I never liked him from the onset but your over knowledgeable dad over here called me a bluff when I mentioned it!” She snapped at him.

“What the hell!” he shot back in a coarse tone. “Who are you talking about and what is going on here?” He queried, staring in total confusion.

My silence only gave Mum more room to unleash her fury. She turned on him, her voice rising. “Well, If it must interest you to know, your so-called perfect image of a son-in-law, Dominic Braun has been cheating on your daughter.” she spat. Her tone dripped off raw venom.

For a moment, I didn’t hear a word from my dad. I had expected to hear him roar or growl in anger. But, his expression sent chills down my spine. It got me questioning if I was actually the real daughter of Thomas Woods. I peeked through my mum’s arm to see my dad’s expression, my heart broke into a million pieces.

“Thomas?” my mum yelled. “Are you just going to ignore your daughter like that? What kind of a father are you? Jess is right here, dealing….”

He slammed the table abruptly, jolting my mum and I. “Be quiet!” He barked, his eyes blazing with anger. “Dealing with what?” He questioned. “And don’t you ever speak of Dominic in that light!”

I froze, my eyes shot out of their sockets. “What?” my jaw dropped.

“Yes, you heard me right! No more rants and pretentious tears around this table,” He yelled, snapping his gaze towards me. “Now tell me, Why wouldn’t that young man move on with someone else if actually he did?” my jaws still parted away from each other.

“Dad?” my brows creased in shock.

“Yes Jess… Tell me why he wouldn’t. I’ve got a call from Dominic, complaining of your non-challant attitude. Was that how I brought you up? Huh? Answer me!” he scolded, slamming the table again.

I couldn’t believe my ears. My gut twisted in irritation. I turned my gaze to my mum who stared more in shock than I was. Why would Dominic do that? Wasn’t it enough that he was having another mistress? Now he is trying to turn me against my own father. 

“Dad? Are you gonna let me explain or are you going to take his word over mine?” I stared in disbelief.

“Come on, tell me Jess? What do you possibly have to say for yourself? Was it the embarrassment you gave  when you snapped his hand off yours during a photo session at a business summit you attended with him? Have you forgotten how his name was dragged on by the media for that singular act?”

My body went cold. I remembered the incident vividly. Dominic and I had a misunderstanding over some cash he was meant to sign me. I almost didn’t want to go with him to the summit but he threatened to have me stay back from every public appearance he was going to make. I couldn’t bear not being the billionaire girlfriend diva that always appears at the front page of prominent magazines. 

“But that, you don’t know the full details of what happened,” I retorted. 

“Really, how about the fight forcing him to attend an award night for your personal interest that almost got him killed, Huh?”

At this point, I knew I was done. The more I listened to him, the more humiliating everything got. I shrugged off my mum’s hold and walked out of the dinner table. 

“You are unbelievable, Thomas,” my mum spat through gritted teeth. “Every parent would stand for with his child no matter what! But here you are throwing blames at her for wanting a comfortable life! I am disappointed," she snapped at him walking out with a scoff. 

I was already half way up the stairs when I heard echoes of my mum's hurried footsteps behind me. 

“Jess…Jessica. Honey, wait up!” She didn't stop calling my name until I reached my room. I pushed the door open allowing it to spring back shut with a slam on its own. 

“Baby?” The door creaked open again.

“What? Just leave me alone! Go down and continue your dinner with your husband and pretend I'm not in this house!” I screamed at her.

“Honey, I know you're mad,” she said gently. “But I want you to listen to my voice. Erase whatever your dad said downstairs from your mind. You know how he gets sometimes. Overly principled and all that. Sometimes he gets to prick your emotions,” she slowly grasped my shoulder, helping to calm my heavy breaths.

I sniffled, cupping my face in my hand guided me to my bed, sitting beside me.

“But mum, why would he take Dominic's side? He made it look like I was the problem. Like I was some cross Dominic was bearing.”

“Shush!” She swiped her thumb underneath my eyes, wiping off tears from it. “You are not the problem baby. Your dad has just refused to see Dominic for who he is and I hope it won't be late when he does,” she hiss, rolling her eyes.

Lifting my chin, her gazes locked on mine. “Look here Jess, don't you ever cower on what you want. And, never let any woman take your place. Be it Dominic's life—if at all you choose to stay with him or anywhere. Do you hear me?”

I just stared at her with a teary face. No response.

“Do I make myself clear?” Her voice was sharp but laced with a bit of tenderness. 

I nodded in agreement.

“Good! Marriages and relationships are not about perfection. It is all about possession! You snooze, you lose,” she leaned closer, making sure every syllable of her words hit my brain.

“Do you think my marriage to your dad has been all rosy? I had to fight dirty sometimes,” she whispered. 

“Dirty? How? My brows creased in confusion.

“Once many years ago, there was some shitty lady who thought she could charm her way into your dad's life and take away everything,” her eyes narrowed as her face twisted in disgust from the memory. “I cut her off! And I will do it again and again if need be.”

Her words sank into me and deep inside I was already itching to go back to town and find out who this bitch was and kick her ass my territory.

“Cheating or not?” She said before tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “You do not let anyone walk over you! You are Jessica Woods. You are not replaceable. Take your spot and own it!”

A soft smile tugged the corner of my lips. I sniffled, drying my eyes. 

“Thank you so much mum. I love you,” I leaned in to embrace her. 

She planted a soft kiss on my forehead with a smile. “I'm always here for you, baby.”

There was a moment of silence in the room,  broken only by the splatter of rain on the roof. I felt a bit of relief from the weight tugging my chest. 

“I'd allow you rest now, Jess,” she whispered, breaking off the hug. “It's past my bedtime already. I'd talk to you tomorrow. For now, lay your head, catch some sleep and take your mind off Dominic and your father. I don't want them stealing your peace,” we both chuckled. 

“Thanks mum,” I mouthed inaudibly. 

She rose from the bed and walked to the door. Before leaving, she glanced back at me, gave me a wink and turned off the lights. 

“Goodnight!” She said as she shut the door behind her.

I laid back in my bed, tucked perfectly under the duvet. Her words echoed in my head. She was right, I cannot be humiliated by a piece of trash. Dominic and I might not be the best pair, but I'm not letting him go. Not to anybody. 

I picked up my phone, searching for Claire's contact. I dialed her. The line rang twice before she picked up.

“Hey Claire,” my voice came sharp yet soft. “Can I ask for a favor?”

“Sure!” She responded.

“I want you to get me every  information you can about the girl you talked about earlier. Please ensure to keep it discreet,” I pleaded.

“Sure of course! Anything for you, best friend,” she chuckled over the phone.

“Thanks a lot. Goodnight!”

“Yeah, Goodnight,” she responded, disconnecting the call.

I tossed my phone beside me, staring into the dark room. 

“Let's see who wins this dirty little game,” I snarled, throwing my duvet over me.